Alejandro Fernández has been the chief economist at Gemines since 1990. A graduate of the University of Chile and the University of Rochester, he has also served as an adviser for Chile’s Ministry of the Economy and the World Bank, as well as an academic at the University of Chile. In October, President Sebastian Piñera hailed Chile as an oasis of stability in Latin America. However, the civil unrest that engulfed the country later that month and the subsequent promise of a new constitution have cast…

“The ultimate goal of the farm is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.”—Masanobu Fukuoka On July 31, 1951, I was born on a farm in a faraway place called New Zealand. Today I run a Real Estate business in the heart of South America called “Gateway to South America“. For many years, I ran away from my farm-life upbringing because I thought it had no place in this business, but over time, I’ve come to embrace some of my farm-boy ways to a competitive…

The role of the family office has often been misunderstood, even though the concept has been around (in a variety of forms) for hundreds of years. Still today, as this industry controls billions of dollars in assets under management, there are many intelligent, experienced finance professionals who cannot offer a complete definition of what a family office is exactly. Today, the family office industry is expanding at an impressive pace, with new family offices opening every month and assets continuing to…

As one of the world’s most entrepreneurial nations, there are ample business opportunities for US companies in Chile. Chile and the US have maintained a strong commercial relationship dating back to 1918. In 2019, both countries celebrated their 100th anniversary of the Chilean-American Chamber of Commerce. This longstanding and mutually beneficial commercial relationship has fostered strong connections between the 2 countries. For decades, Chile has modelled its economy and institutional foundations on…

The basic order of inheritance in Chile after someone dies is that of surviving spouse, children, parents, grandparents, siblings, and then cousins. This also includes the rights of spouses and children for their direct ascendant or decedent to inherit. You are allowed to give a certain percentage of your estate in a will to whomever you like, but for the most part, you can not avoid giving these family members with mandatory inheritor rights a portion of your estate by just drafting a will. There are certain…

The agricultural sector undoubtedly has its challenges; the impact of over taxation, increasing input costs, drought, waste, plastics, energy sourcing, labor, over-processing and methane emissions just to name a few. Equally, however, there are also many opportunities. So, what are some of the exciting trends we are seeing in agriculture today? Below I highlight six trends that we have identified, providing interesting insights into the rapid change underway in the sector and the potential investment opportunities…

This translated book begins with a foreword by left-wing writer Isabel Allende, and here is just one quote from her introduction of the book: “His work is a mixture of meticulous detail, political conviction, poetic flair, and good storytelling.” The translation by Cedric Belfrage merits special note. This book sings in English, and the translator has done justice to the original. A major recurring theme throughout the book is that of capital squandered by the few while the many actually producing…

A September 2019 report by RethinkX, an independent think tank based in London and San Francisco, predicts major disruption in food and agriculture over the next decade. Rethinking Food and Agriculture 2020-2030, the Second Domestication of Plants and Animals, the Disruption of the Cow, and the Collapse of Industrial Livestock Farming forecasts the wholesale collapse of dairy and cattle industries by 2030 as animal protein production is replaced by “precision fermentation” (also known as synthetic biology…

Farmers’ fields in South America are among the most prized assets in a new global market for agricultural land that has sprung up alongside soaring commodity prices. Private equity and fund managers at a farm investing conference in Geneva named South America a top place to buy, lease and manage agricultural lands for profit. “The South American marketplace is really booming along right now,” said Mark Zenuk, managing director of the $3 billion NGP Global Adaptation Partners fund. Black…

Entrepreneurship in Chile continues to develop, supported by government initiatives. According to the Global Entrepreneur Monitor (GEM), Chile is the most entrepreneurial country in the world, ahead of the US and India and alongside Guatemala. Many factors such as start-up funding, education, innovation system, and entrepreneurship environment contributed to Chile’s number one ranking. With a skilled workforce, a thriving entrepreneurship environment, solid macroeconomic fundamentals, and government support,…

My thoughts from 30 yrs in the real estate industry. Tip 1: Contact your broker, don’t wait for them to contact you – Good properties always sell even in a tough market. Your ability to buy the best properties that tick all of your boxes comes down to the relationships you have with the local brokers, so take the lead and make sure they always think of you first when they become aware of that perfect property. Tip 2: Buy when you can afford to buy – You will never get: (1) High growth,…

In recent months Professor Keith Woodford has received many emails asking if he has seen the RethinkX report demonstrating how in ten years’ time animal proteins will have been largely replaced by artificial foods. By 2030, demand for cattle products will supposedly have fallen by 70%. At that time the global grasslands can be returned to nature. This is his response. Then this last week the emailers have been asking if I have seen George Monbiot’s report in The Guardian on how artificial foods…

Osorno is an important city and commune in southern Chile and capital of Osorno Province in the Los Lagos Region. It had a population of over 150,000. It is located 945 kilometres (587 miles) south of the national capital of Santiago, 105 kilometres (65 miles) north of the regional capital of Puerto Montt and 260 kilometres (160 miles) west of the Argentine city of San Carlos de Bariloche, connected via International Route 215 through the Cardenal Antonio Samoré Pass. Osorno is a rural service centre for the…

#1 Demographics First, it’s good to remember that demographics have a life of their own. That’s not good from the point of view of those of us of European descent. We’re only 10% of the world population and falling rapidly. Worse, it seems we’re responsible for all the world’s problems and therefore aren’t very popular. In Europe, I expect the ’20s will have a lot of mass migration, the largest in scale since the barbarian invasions of the fifth century. This time there will be millions, then…

Chile’s jobless rate fell and manufacturing output rose late in the year, surprising analysts who had forecast a steep downturn as nationwide protests shuttered businesses and delayed investments. The unemployment rate slid to 6.9% in the three months through November from 7% in the month-earlier period, the national statistics institute said Tuesday, far below the 7.6% median estimate of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Manufacturing expanded 3.2% in November from a year ago, compared with the median estimate…